CVE-2020-37127 dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 - 'dhcp_release' Denial of Service
Attackers can cause a denial of service in the dhcp_release utility by sending crafted input longer than 16 characters, triggering a buffer overflow and core dump.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2020-37127?
CVE-2020-37127 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in dnsmasq-utils, published on 5 Feb 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Dnsmasq-utils 2.79-1 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in the dhcp_release utility that allows attackers to cause a denial of service by supplying excessive input. Attackers can trigger a core dump and terminate the dhcp_release process by sending a crafted input string longer than 16 characters.
Weakness: CWE-121
Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-37127?
How do I fix CVE-2020-37127?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2020-37127 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-37127 exists.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2020-37127, GHSA-j2ph-f4fj-m4r3, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-37127, USN-8311-1.